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(No Model.)'

J. OSTERHOUDT.

PILE 0R DOCK LOG.

No. 459,500. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH OSTERHOUDT, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT A. OHESEBROUGH, OFNEIV YORK, N. Y.

PILE OR DOCK-LOG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,500, datedSeptember 15, 1891.

Application filed June 3, 1891. Serial No. 394,928. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH OSTERHOUDT, of Brooklyn,in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Piles or Dock-Logs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in piles or dock-logs subject tothe attacks of marine insects and to more orless attrition in driving orembedding or otherwise securing them in position. It is well known thatpiles or dock-logs become honeycombed by marine worms and graduallybroken away and rendered rough and injurious to the sides of boats bythe sharp hard shells of barnacles,

. and also that they become soft and break away by the alternate actionof sun and water.

The object of my present invention is to provide a pile or log whichshall be proof against injury under the above-named influences, andwhich will retain its integrity and strength for a prolonged period oftime.

To this end my invention consists in a pile or dock-log having anexterior coating of ozocerite.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View of a portion of anozocerite-covered pile, andFig. 2 is a view of a portion of anozocerite-covered dock-log.

A represents the body of the pile, and A the body of the dock-log. Thecovering of ozocerite is represented in each case by B. The coatingwhich I have termed ozocerite is that product of petroleum which may beobtained from around the sucker-rods of the oil-pumps or from thesettlings of the oiltanks, and is sometimes called mineral wax. It alsoexists in the natural statein the earth.

It should be noted that paraffine which would result from distillingozocerite would not answer, on account of its crystalline form, as itwould then flake off and the important qualities which ozoceritepossesses would be lost. It may be raised to a temperature of about 140Fahrenheit, at which point it becomes a free-flowing liquid, and may bereadily applied to the pile or log by an ordinary brush. I prefer,however, wherever it is possible, to immerse the pile or log in themelted ozocerite. The ozocerite when applied has such a strong affinityfor the wood that it creeps into and thoroughly lines all theinterstices and forms a coating which adheres with such tenacity thatits integrity cannot be broken by the attrition due to driving orlaying.The said coating is Water-repellent, and also forms a complete guardagainst the attack of marine insects, the face of the pile orlogremaining smooth and intact under the wash of the Water and anyordinary} rubbing to which it may be subjected during the landing ofboats. If the piles or dock-logs to be coated are of iron instead'ofwood, before applying the ozocerite it would be better to heat it iniron kettles to about 400 to 450 Fahrenheit. so as to expel any moistureor light petroleum bodies which might be mixed with it. Iron coated withozocerite will resist the corrosive action of sea-water. 7

What I claim is An ozocerite-coated pile or dock-log, substantially asset forth.

JEREMIAH OSTERHOUDT. IVitnesses:

RoBr. J. WATnRs, D. O. ANDREWS.

